Even though he set us free, to be free, we seem to prefer bondage. Therefore, heaps standing firm, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Today on Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll. The price has been paid, the strings have been cut, you have the wings to fly, you have a new nature with which to fly.
Now, go! When the Apostle Paul wrote to first-century believers and declared it was for freedom that Christ set us free, what did he mean? His statement sounds redundant. And furthermore, what kind of freedom is Paul referring to? Freedom from our past? Freedom from our enemies?
Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll addresses these questions and more. And if you find yourself paralyzed by the haunting memories of mistakes you've made, or if you're caught in the trap of unrealized expectations, you'll be relieved by Paul's instruction in Ephesians 4. Chuck titled today's message, Steps That Lead to Freedom. Oh, you're in for such a great, great time today. In spite of the message, you are in for some wonderful music. And I want you to turn to where it says worship service. I want us to read in unison the words that appear in italics just below the date to sort of set the stage for this morning, which begins in a rather creative way. I love the prayer of the old Presbyterian preacher who said, Lord, help something to happen that's not in the bulletin. And I always think the serendipity of a worship time is what keeps us on the edge of our seat, and that's the way it ought to be. Read with me these words, let every instrument.
Here we go. Let every instrument be tuned for praise. Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise. And may God give us faith to sing always.
Alleluia. Just before I pray, let me read for you from the last eight verses of Ephesians chapter 4. If you brought a Bible, just follow along at verse 25 down through 32, Ephesians 4.
Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one body. Be angry, and yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.
He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Let's pray. Father, as we hear the rainfall on this roof, and as we look about us and then look within and look back, we can do little more than bless the Lord and give you our praise. Thank You for watering the earth and making it bring forth in bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.
And even so, Your word, as it goes forth, will never return empty, but it will accomplish what You please, and it will prosper in the thing for which You have sent it. You have watered us with Your favor and grace, and we bless Your name. You have given us health sufficient to come to this meeting. You have protected us in miles of travel. You have cleared our heads and given us good eyesight, the ability to communicate, to listen, even the power to change.
All of these come from Your gracious hand. The least we could do is to be kind, tender-hearted, forgiving each other. Talk straight to us today, Lord, and may we find nothing to hide behind, not even long-term excuses. As You expose us to truth and as You help us find the steps that lead to freedom. It is only right, also, Lord, that we not keep all the things You give us. We're good at hoarding. We're selfish by nature. You have begun to work a work within us, and You have begun to teach us something of generosity. May these offerings today reveal that, not because you've ever had a need—because you have never—but because we have a need to know how to do this consistently and hilariously. Be pleased not only with our gifts and the motives behind them, but the praises that come from our lips as we bless the Lord and give You our praises.
In Jesus' name, amen. Good old Fred had been a pretty fine Christian most of his adult life. It seemed as though life had reached the end, and so the family was gathered with old Fred down at the hospital, and they called the preacher down to stand close beside him during those last few minutes of life. The pastor started to read a scripture, and suddenly Fred motioned for something to write on, since he wasn't able to speak now. And he quickly scribbled out a note, and he tore it from this little tablet, and he put it in the hand of the preacher, and it just wasn't—just seconds later and Fred was gone. The pastor felt it wasn't appropriate that he either look at or read this note, didn't know what it would say, and in the uniqueness of the moment, he simply prayed and everyone left, and he stuffed the note in his pocket. And the day of the funeral, he was standing before the family and friends, some of whom had been at the hospital, and it suddenly dawned on him as he was concluding his message that that same coat he was wearing was what he was wearing the evening he was with the family when Fred died. And he thought it would be appropriate and probably inspiring for me to reach into my pocket and take out the note and tell people. You remember Fred wrote this note, and I think he'd want all of you to hear what he says. And the note read, quick, step to your left.
You're standing on my oxygen hose. Sometime we do things inadvertently, and we don't know that they're wrong. Other times, in fact, more often than not, we do what is wrong, and we know it's wrong, and because we have done it so long, we don't have any plans to stop doing it, even though it hurts ourselves and sometimes hurts others. Old habits are hard to break. I'm not speaking today about the inadvertent things we do as a mistake and cause harm to others. I'm talking about things we do knowing, while we're doing them, that they're wrong.
But we feel almost unable to stop doing them because for so long we have practiced them. I came across a true story recently that took place in a bazaar in a village in northern India that illustrates this whole point perfectly. Everyone brought his wares to the trade to sell. One old farmer brought along to this bazaar a whole covey of quails. He had tied a string around one leg of each bird.
The other ends of all the strings were tied to a ring, which fit loosely around a stake in the middle of the group. These birds walked dolefully in a circle, around and around, as they were tied to this stake, just like a mule at a sugar cane mill, just monotonously in this circle, until a man showed up who had a heart for animals. This devout individual said to the farmer that he respected life and he wanted to purchase these birds. How many do you want, said the farmer? I want all of them. All of them, said the merchant. Fine. He paid him and then he said, now I want you to set all of them free. You want what? I want you to set all of them free. You heard me. Cut the strings from their legs, turn them loose, let them fly.
With a shrug, the old farmer had made the money he was looking for. Without an argument, he bent down and snipped the strings off the legs of each one of the quail. They were freed at last.
What happened? Surprisingly, the birds simply continued marching around in a circle, as if they were still tied to the stake, as if the strings had never been cut. As if the strings had never been cut.
Free, unfettered, released. Yet they kept going around in this circle as if they were still tied. So the man walked up and he shooed them off, hoping that they would then fly and run free and fly free.
And wherever they landed, he noticed, they landed and quickly formed another circle and went back to walking in the same way. How hard it is to break old habits. You and I both would be embarrassed if there were some enormous screen that I could drop in front of this church this morning, and I'd put a name up there and it would be your name and then we would list the things that you still return to even though you have been bought with a price and set free to live like that. Free from the things that once enslaved you. Free to follow Christ in grace and to move in a whole other realm and to experience a whole other atmosphere of living, if you will. Before we look at a list of some of those things that plague us in Ephesians chapter 4, go back to Galatians chapter 5.
Would you do that? Just a verse. One verse in Galatians 5 came to my mind when I read that story from the village in northern India. Galatians 5, Paul comes at the legalists when he writes Galatians with both guns blazing. He is not only righteously indignant against legalism, he is disturbed that these Galatians who have been set free, the strings have been cut, they've been bought with a price, and still when they land, wherever they go, they're walking the circle living as though they must answer to those legalists who were watching their lives. In fact, he says in chapter 3, who has bewitched you? You who have been set free.
Who has hypnotized you so that you keep walking in this circle, as it were. Look at chapter 5 verse 1. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. Before you go any further, look at the words. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free. You say, well it seems a little redundant. No, not if you know most Christians.
Not if you know most who lived in Galatia who named the name of Christ. Even though he set us free to be free, we seem to prefer bondage. Therefore, he writes, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
The price has been paid, the strings have been cut, you have the wings to fly, you have a new nature with which to fly, now go. You are free to obey Christ, whereas before you were in bondage to an old nature bondage to an old nature that captivated you and held you in check. In Ephesians chapter 4, we have just read of the importance of laying aside the old self, 4 verse 22, and putting on the new man, 4 verse 24. In between the laying aside of the filthy garments and the putting on of the new clothing or the fresh clean clothing, there is the mention of the renewed mind, verse 23.
Look at that. Ephesians 4, 23, that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind. There is nothing, nothing more important for you and me than to operate with a renewed mind. Because the old nature is always there trying to make us think we're still tied to the stake of the old master. You cannot expect to live very long without sinning again and again and again, and so quickly we are taught in the Christian life, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It's a great verse of scripture, but I call it corrective theology. It's as though we couldn't possibly live but just a few minutes without sinning again. After all, we're tied to this stake. No, we're not tied to it. We've just gotten accustomed to it.
We've been set free. I don't think 1 John 1 9 is the best verse for the new believer to learn. I think it ought to be the one out of Romans chapter 6, verse 13.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. You know the best illustration of that? I think of driving along a curved road in the mountains. There are two different signs that could be placed on the road. One of them says, hospital down below, and you take off around that road, and you go over the side, and you tumble down, and you wind up in the hospital, and they can fix you up.
They've got all the equipment necessary. Or the other sign can say, curve ahead, drive slowly. You don't have to go off the road.
If you do, there's a hospital to help, but there's a better way to drive than that. We're not here to populate hospitals. We're here to make it to our destination. We're not here tied to the stake. We are here to fly for the glory of God, freed from what once bound us. I think I would probably not miss my guess if I said, in asking you before you heard these truths, how long do you think you can live without sinning?
I think most of you would respond, only a few minutes. Do you know you can live days without sinning? You've given me that look like, where did this come from? Right out of Romans. It's just we've been trained wrong. I think you can see sin coming and say, Lord, I am not able to face this or handle this on my own.
For years, I couldn't get over. I had to yield to this, but I ask for your strength right now as this temptation is appearing before me, or as I have a chance to yield to it. I pray that you'll give me strength not to, and He will, and you won't. It's true. That's why Paul wrote Galatians.
Who has bewitched you to make you think you've got to live like that? So I think God's hope for us is freedom, not slavery. That's the message of grace. My job is to encourage you to fly free and quit yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness, as though you are helpless, you are helpless victim of the string and the stake.
You're not. Now in Ephesians 4, verse 25, he says, therefore, one of the rules of great interpretation is always find out what the therefore is there for. And in this case, in this case, he is saying in light of the fact that you have laid aside the old garments, and you have been renewed in your mind, and you're now wearing the fresh, clean garments. Therefore, here are some instructions regarding some areas of your life you once were unable to conquer. You know what they are?
Get ready with your pen. Verse 25, lying. Verse 26 and 27, uncontrolled anger. 28, stealing. 29 and 30, unwholesome words. 31 and 32, a lack of forgiveness.
Did you get them? If you didn't, we'll go back over them and sort of take them apart and put them back together, okay? Remember, as a Christian, you are not victimized by any of these. Don't let anyone ever convince you that you are.
You can keep from lying by the power of the Holy Spirit. You do not have to have your anger get out of control. Don't tell me about your temper. That's the old life.
That's the stake and the string. You don't have to respond like that to situations that are difficult. Don't tell me that you've been a thief most of your life and you can't expect, I can't expect you to change now that you've come to this age. Who says I can't? You're supposed to fly free from such things, and you can, but it takes a renewed mind and unwholesome words. Who hasn't battled that? As well as an unforgiving spirit.
Let's look at them. Lying. Verse 25. The Greek word is pseudos. P-S-E-U-D-O-S. We get our word pseudo from it.
Pseudo-something. It's the idea of deception or a false front. In this case, it's a falsehood. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Do you find it interesting that Paul uses the same colorful word picture here as he did in verse 22? Lay aside the old self, and while we're laying aside the old self, among them will be telling lies. He calls it here falsehood. Lies wear different faces, don't they? Lies are all around us, and they come in various forms. There are mild forms of deception. There's what I call diplomatic hedging, stretching the truth, not telling the whole story, staying silent when we should speak. That can be a lie. We know the truth, but we don't say it, and so our silence belies us.
We have that word in our language. Making statements that deliberately mislead another person is a lie. Different forms of exaggeration, that kind of hits me hard. Preachers love to make the story a little bit better than it was originally.
That's why when I travel and take my wife with me, my stories are much more accurate than when I travel alone. Plagiarism is a form of lying. I write this in my material.
Really, I got it from someone else, and I'm lying to make you think that's original to me, when in fact I learned it and read it from him or from her. Plagiarism can be a form of lying. Flattery is lying. Telling people what they want to hear rather than what they should hear can be a form of lying. Little white lies all the way to large and unrestrained fabrication of truth.
All of that and so much more would fall in the category of a falsehood. Freedom is granted to those who have the Spirit of God living within, but the gift of freedom doesn't stop there. Walking in the truth is a choice we make every day.
You're listening to Insight for Living. Chuck Swindoll titled today's message, Steps That Lead to Freedom, and we encourage you to keep listening because there's much more to learn from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. And to learn more about this ministry, visit us online at insightworld.org. Now, if you're looking for a resource that'll guide you in your daily pursuit of spiritual freedom, the kind that Chuck described today, then we're recommending a devotional book called Good Morning Lord, Can We Talk? It contains 365 devotions, providing a brief and refreshing oasis for every single day in the new year. Walking in spiritual freedom requires that we stay focused on the truth of God's Word, and this devotional book will help you do that throughout 2021.
And it would make a thoughtful Christmas gift as well. To purchase Chuck's devotional book called Good Morning Lord, go to insight.org slash store. Or call us if you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888. Now, if Chuck's November letter has already arrived at your home, then you've had the delight of reading his personal expression of thanksgiving for all God has accomplished in 2020, in spite of the forces of darkness pressing into our world today. It's been a remarkable year, and in many respects, it's drawn us closer together as followers of Christ, because in times like these, we truly need each other. So from all of us at Insight for Living Ministries, please accept our profound thanks for your support during this tumultuous year. Your voluntary donations have allowed us to touch lives all across North America, and now all around the world, through eight languages. To give a donation today, call us.
If you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888, or go online to insight.org. In 2020, the pandemic has swept into our homes in ways we never imagined. Some have suffered greatly, but all of us have felt the loneliness of a quarantined lifestyle. Through it all, we're grateful that God has used the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll to continue uninterrupted by the coronavirus or even through civil unrest. God's amazing grace is our overarching theme every day on Insight for Living.
In fact, it's quite possible that God has used our daily program to extend His grace to you. Well, these daily visits with Chuck are made possible in part by monthly companions, and we're inviting you to join this influential team of monthly supporters. Sign up today by calling us. If you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888. Please jot down our contact information and follow the Lord's prompting. When you do that, you'll become an elegant bouquet, a sweet fragrance of God's grace here at home and all around the world. Become a monthly companion by calling us. If you're listening in the United States, call 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org monthly companion. Again tomorrow, Chuck Swindoll describes the biblical steps that lead to freedom right here on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Steps That Lead to Freedom, was copyrighted in 2000, 2001, and 2009, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
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